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Being Yourself, Lessons From Lupe & XV

One thing I can say has been big since 2007 when Nas called Hip-Hop dead, is this idea of an artist being “different” and that they are in their own lane. Hell pick any hip-hop internet artist that has blown since then, they have strived to make sure you know that they are different. This leads to lines like “being different only makes me the same”. So while artists have claimed to be different, the subject matter hasn’t been different. If anything the context and references maybe be slightly different but the cliche’s still exist. Hyper-masculinity, alleged individuality, being agressive is considered lyrical, fuck the haters, representing where you are from, women tracks for sex or stroking the ego of said rapper etc. Although we have gotten great content that rehashes this, rappers all of a sudden tried to pretend and drop a track here or there stating that they have lyrics beyond these things.This notion of individuality was something forced by a lot of these artist without really expressing what it takes become this individual rapper. The very earliest I can remember an artist really establishing a ‘different’ world view was Lupe Fiasco. Back in 2006 with Food and Liquor he released Hurt Me Soul. That song’s first verse gives insight to becoming a ‘different’ rapper.

Now I ain’t trying to be the greatest I used to hate hip-hop, yup, because the women degraded But Too Short made me laugh, like a hypocrite I played it A hypocrite, I stated, though I only recited half Omitting the word “bitch”, cursing – I wouldn’t say it Me and dog couldn’t relate, till a bitch I dated Forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike But I learned it from a song I heard and sort of liked Yeah, for the ice and glamorized drug dealing was appealing But the block club kept it from in front of our building Gangsta rap-based filmings became the building blocks For children with leaking ceilings catching drippings with pots Coupled with compositions from Pac, Nas’s “It Was Written” Intermixed with my realities and feelings Living conditions, religion, ignorant wisdom and artistic vision I began to jot, tap the world and listen, it drop

We have the artist explain his first exposure and thoughts of hip-hop. Lupe explains that he had a love hate relationship with rap. What makes this so critical, is that it highlights the complicated relationship that everyone has with hip-hop. Nobody’s relationship is so flat. Instead here we see Lupe talk about dealing with the misogyny and finding some type of pleasure with it. So we have things that he doesn’t like but thats complex, then we see the artists and songs that influenced him and then the personal things that built his approach to rap. This is what it takes, an honest view of how you see the culture, REALIZING THE INFLUENCES and dealing with them according to who you are. This is where you realities etc take some importance. So recently I heard another song that was released this year that follows in the same vein of showing the complex nature of the relationship with hip-hop and what it means to be a ‘different’ rapper. XV dropped Popular Culture in June (review coming soon) and the track Be There Be Square hilights XV’s path to becoming ‘different’. Here is his second verse:

I used to rap like Hov before I got signed High school talent shows, throw up the Roc sign Pouring liquor on hoes, sipping on white wine ‘Til I realized that whole life was not mine I never seen Jigga play Chrono Trigger Sneak out the house just to go out and skateboard with his niggas Tell me if his favorite Nirvana song is Sliver Cut down the family tree, I just can’t relate to you niggas So I speak for those who are not spoken for On Twitter and Bossip, gossiping if I’m gonna blow I’m on they heels, they probably wearing open toes Sold out shows across the globe, my label barely even knows You watch a throne, I just see a chair And a crown that I’ma get and not even wear ‘Cause before I got on, they didn’t seem to care So I said fuck yo circle, I’ma be a square

What do we have here? Acknowledging the artist that influenced him, the love hate relationship because he couldn’t identify with said artist entirely. He has the other things in his life that build his world view, in this case Chrono Trigger and Nirvana. We understand how he views the culture and we definately see how he made it fit his view of things, and that this wasn’t a linear process. The entire song builds to this final verse. So as good writers do, Lupe and XV showed how they developed into unique rappers, or as the cliche goes these days “be yourself”. They didn’t just say “be yourself”. They gave insight to how they related to the culture, the inspiration , their disconnection and finally inserted things from their realities and “ignorant wisdom”. I rather artists show that they are different and what it took to get there, because now you set an example and a stage for people to start doing so in their lives. This isn’t to say these artists don’t have certain stereotypes , but it’s to say that these artists catalogue music shines because they naturally have ideas etc outside of the hip-hop’s cliches because they figured out their relationship with hip-hop. P.S I use different in quotation marks because honestly I wouldn’t have a clue to how to define this word so I allow for readers to decide if thats an appropriate choice, I think that the gist of my idea gets across.

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